


Fire and Silk

by darkladywolf12



Category: Hakuouki, Naruto
Genre: Crossover, Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:29:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27575867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkladywolf12/pseuds/darkladywolf12
Summary: "Are you the medicine woman?" "That would be me," she said, her lips curving up in a small smile. "My name is Haruno Sakura." "I am Kazama Chikage and you must heal me." *I don't own Naruto and/or Hakuōki*
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Kazama Chikage
Kudos: 16





	Fire and Silk

**Author's Note:**

> Other fics in my HakuōkiXSakura one-shot series:
> 
> 1\. “Komorebi” – (SoujiXSakura)  
> 2\. “Jasmine Blooms” – (HajimeXSakura and rated M)  
> 3\. “Halcyon Kiss” – (ToshizoXSakura)

_How very…human. Disgusting._

Chikage eyed the small cottage with disdain.

Built a little way from the town and crouching low into the grassy embankment as though it were trying to hide, it looked different from the buildings that made up the rest of Kyoto. Slightly misshapen, the roof seemed a little too big, and even in the darkness, his eyes could make out the time-worn wooden frame. If he were to hazard a guess, he would say the building used to be some sort of shed or outbuilding before it was turned into living quarters.

_How far I’ve fallen…_

Feeling a burning sensation at the back of his throat, he barely managed to cover his mouth with his hand before a violent coughing fit wracked his spine. He bent over as roughly as if he had been punched in the stomach.

“Oi, Kazama-”

He raised a hand, not bothering to glance at Shiranui. “Stay where you are.”

Looking down, he took note of the blood spatters at his feet; an ugly reminder of why he was standing outside a human’s abominable abode looking for aid.

“Are you sure this is it, Kyo?”

The gun-wielding Oni shrugged. “That’s what my sources tell me. From what I hear, even those Shinsengumi dogs visit her from time to time, looking for medicine.”

If possible, Chikage’s frown deepened. Not only was he forced to turn to a human for help, but she was also aiding those pests.

_Dying just might prove a better alternative to this._

Feeling another cough coming, Chikage scowled. Clearing his throat to push the burning down, he walked up to the door confidently and knocked sharply on the wood.

When half a minute passed, and no one answered, he felt a spark of annoyance flare in his gut.

_Worthless creatures. What kind of old hag could be living here-_

“Yes? How may I help you?”

Without his consent, Chikage’s eyes widened slightly at the sight of the woman that greeted him.

The first thing he noticed was that she was young. Younger than he had ever expected.

Clad in a crème-colored sleeping yukata, she was a small thing, that just barely came up to his shoulder. Her hair, falling down to her waist in thick wavy locks and disheveled from sleep, was light in color, though he couldn’t tell whether the moonlight was playing tricks on him or if it truly was pink. A purple diamond rested in the middle of her forehead.

She tilted her head to the side, watching him curiously from under her lashes. “Sir? It’s the middle of the night. Do you require assistance?”

Chikage’s crimson gaze bore into hers and he caught himself thinking that he had not seen such an expressive pair of green eyes in a long while.

“Are you the medicine woman?”

“That would be me,” she said, her lips curving up in a small smile. “My name is Haruno Sakura.”

“I am Kazama Chikage and you must heal me.”

XxxxX

“I am Kazama Chikage and you must heal me.”

Sakura stared at her midnight visitors with interest.

They looked quite different from the people that usually came to her house for help and they certainly weren’t local as the residents of Kyoto knew that she stopped accepting patients after sundown unless it was an emergency.

_Well, they came all this way for a reason. I can’t just turn them away._

Opening the door widely, she motioned for them to follow her. “Please, come in. Sit, and I’ll make a fresh pot of tea.”

She didn’t wait for them to make a move but the shutting of the door a few seconds later informed her that all three men had walked inside.

Moving quickly around her small kitchen, she had the tea ready within minutes. Taking a tray to the table, she poured them all a cup and sat down across from the man who introduced himself as Kazama Chikage. He sat regally, with his back straight and she had to wonder if she was somehow having tea with a noble.

“Alright, gentlemen. What seems to be the problem?”

Kazama took a sip of his tea, scrunching up his nose in what could only be described as disgust. “I have contracted a sickness-”

His words were interrupted by a coughing fit that had Sakura jumping to her feet and running to his side. She kneeled beside him and put a supporting hand on his back. “Kazama-san! Are you alright-”

He recoiled as if burned. “Do not touch me.”

Taken aback by his reaction, Sakura retracted her hand but did not leave his side. “Kazama-san, I need to check you right away-”

He coughed again, and Sakura’s eyes widened when she saw the spray of blood on his fingers.

“Oi, Kazama! You alright?” The blue-haired man looked worried and Sakura couldn’t help but agree.

_To hell with the no touching thing!_

Placing a hand on his shoulder, she coaxed him to face her. She felt a shiver run down her spine when his crimson eyes caught her own, the fury in them nearly suffocating.

“Kazama-san, I need to examine you right now, so please, allow me.”

He glared at her, and for a moment she thought he might refuse, but then he nodded curtly at her.

Sakura resisted the urge to sigh in relief. She offered him a small smile. “Now, I’m going to place my hands on your chest to start running a diagnostic on you. I do not usually resort to this, but we can both agree that this is an emergency. Please, do not be alarmed.”

She waited for him to nod his consent and breathed deeply.

Cautiously, she pressed her hands to his chest and watched as his eyes widened when a bright green light engulfed them.

XxxxX

“What in the seven hells?!”

Chikage’s eyes widened, and though his reaction wasn’t quite as undignified as Kyo’s, he couldn’t help but agree.

_What is this sorcery?_

Light surrounded the woman’s hands as she pressed them to his chest, and he felt something warm sweep through him. It was disturbing, as if someone was invading a deeper part of him, but in a strange way, it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

After a couple of minutes, she drew back, and the light disappeared. She looked at him calmly, curiously. “You’re an Oni. A pureblood, at that.”

Chikage’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “And how would you know that, woman?”

She giggled, and it was a sound both curious and enraging.

“There are few things you can hide from a medic like myself, Kazama-san. Certainly not something as big as a lineage such as yours. After all, no human would ever fall ill with Demon’s Rage.”

He furrowed his brow. “Demon’s Rage?”

She nodded. “It’s a sickness that afflicts Oni, mostly those of pure blood. It’s a hereditary disease that lies dormant in all of you, until something triggers its…activation, you could say. Many Oni don’t even know they have it or even if they do, the sickness never wakes inside them. I can’t tell you what, but something triggered the illness in you, Kazama-san, and caused it to awaken.”

_A hereditary disease that affects purebloods?_

“How do you know this? If this sickness lies in us Oni, how does a mere human know of its existence?”

She chuckled, not appearing intimidated in the least. “That’s easy, Kazama-san. I might be a human, but I treat Oni too. Why, I’ve already come across Demon’s Rage a couple of times in the past.”

“You have?” said Kyo, raising an eyebrow. “So, can you cure this thing?”

“Our medicine men couldn’t treat it, Shiranui. How can you expect a human-”

“Of course, I can, Shiranui-san,” she cut him off, smiling at the violet-eyed Oni. “Why, did you think this to be some kind of incurable affliction?”

“What are you waiting for then? Get on with it!”

“Now, now, Shiranui-san. It’s the middle of the night and I must make preparations before we start.” She turned to him. “Kazama-san, return here in two days’ time. We shall begin the treatment then. Until that moment arrives, I advise you not to use your powers and to drink plenty of fluids. You will feel much better after a few sessions.”

Chikage scowled. “Watch what kind of claims you make, woman. If you fail to deliver, the consequences will not be to your liking.”

She sipped her tea calmly, exuding confidence. “I assure you, Kazama-san, that by the time I’m done with you, you’ll be a different man.”

XxxOxOxOxxX

When Sakura opened her door two days later to find Kazama standing there alone, she was prepared for the sour expression.

She beamed at him, unfazed. “Kazama-san, good morning! Come in, come in. I have tea ready. Would you like me to pour you a cup?”

He scrunched up his nose. “I’d rather not.”

“In that case, please follow me.” Without missing a beat, Sakura led him to a small room in the back of the house. It was barely large enough for a bed, a small wardrobe, and a desk, but it had a large window with a view of her herb garden and plenty of light.

“Lay down please and open the front of your yukata.”

He followed her instructions stiffly, and the woman couldn’t help but marvel a bit at how every single movement of his carried an air of nobility.

“Is this your sickroom?”

She shook her head, her locks waving around her shoulders. “This is my bedroom.”

Kazama looked perplexed. “You would invite strangers inside your personal quarters? A woman, all on her own?” He huffed indignantly. “How unseemly. I suppose it makes sense, though. You humans have no eye for decorum.”

_Of all the stuck-up fools that could have walked in through that door…_

Pressing her glowing hands to his chest, Sakura resisted the urge to roll her eyes, certain that her uptight patient wouldn’t take it kindly. “I’m but a lowly medic, Kazama-san. And a single woman, to boot. I hardly think I could start my own practice anywhere around here. Perhaps that’s for the best though. My patients feel more comfortable in a cozy, home environment. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“I wouldn’t. Your space matters little to me as long as you deliver on your claims.”

Sighing heavily, Sakura tilted her head to the side awkwardly. “Then you have nothing to worry about. Though Demon’s Rage can be debilitating if left untreated, it’s still a curable disease. You will be as good as new in no time.”

“And you think your magic tricks will achieve what the wise men of my clan couldn’t?”

She stared at him in confusion. “Magic tricks?”

His eyes flickered to her glowing hands. “Would you call that anything else?”

Surprised, the woman’s eyes shifted between her hands and Kazama’s face before finally understanding what he meant. “Oh! These are not tricks, Kazama-san. This is my gift.”

“A gift?”

She nodded. “I was born with it. I spent years honing it under the tutelage of some great people.”

Kazama scoffed. “Well? Where are your teachers? If they are so great, why aren’t they here to ensure your safety?”

Sakura smiled softly to herself; a sad smile full of pain and regret. “They are dead, Kazama-san.”

They did not speak any more until the moment he left.

XxxxX

Pulling the hood of his cloak over his head to hide his features, Chikage turned to look at the woman’s house one last time.

He frowned, thinking of the expression on her face. It had been more a grimace than a smile; a sorrowful quirk of the lips that had the hairs at the back of his neck stand on edge.

It didn’t suit her. It didn’t suit her at all.

XxxxX

“You have Oni sniffing around your feet, Sakura.”

The woman smiled brightly as she poured the man a cup of tea. “I am aware. You know I can’t turn them away, Souji-kun. That would make me a terrible doctor. Besides, they haven’t tried anything questionable so far.”

“So far!” Okita gritted out, slamming his cup down.

“Souji-kun!”

Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Okita smiled at her apologetically. “Sorry, Pinky. I just worry about you. You’re too trusting.”

She patted him on the head, smiling. “I had no idea who you were when you and Hajime-kun showed up outside my door, did I? I still took you in. And look where that’s gotten us. Your lungs are healed, and you get to enjoy the pleasure of my company.” She winked at him, pleased to see the smirk that rose to his lips.

“Gee, Pinky. You know just the way to make me feel special.”

Giggling, the medic winked at him. “You are special, Souji-kun. I wouldn’t have adopted you if you weren’t.”

“ _You_ adopted _me_? It’s the other way around, you insufferable woman.”

Sakura threw her head back and laughed merrily, nearly spilling her tea. “Would you like another cup, Souji-kun? I’ll start cooking lunch in a bit. You’re welcome to stay and share with me.”

He shook his head, his reddish-brown locks following the movement, and stood. “You know I’d like that, but I still need to get back to headquarters. Kondou and Hijikata are waiting.”

“Aa. I understand. You and the others should come over sometime. I can make tea and snacks for everyone.”

More than a head and a half taller than her, Souji ruffled her hair. “Not a chance. Those idiots don’t get to ruin my peace and quiet with you.”

Giggling, Sakura threw her arms around his middle. “Possessive dork.” She looked up at him. “You’ll be careful out there, won’t you, Souji-kun?”

Hugging her back, he nodded in her hair. “I promise to be only if you do too.” Grabbing her gently by the shoulders, he stared deeply in her eyes. “Promise me, Sakura. If those wretched Oni try anything, you come straight to me. I know your history. You don’t wait, you don’t try to reason with them. You run straight to headquarters and ask for me. Deal?”

_Oh, Souji-kun, you’re too cute._

Grinning up at him, she nodded. “Deal.”

He released his hold on her, though he still didn’t appear convinced. “Well, I’m off. See you later, Pinky.”

“Bye, Souji-kun! Give the others a kiss for me!”

“Hell no!”

XxxOxOxOxxX

It was well past midnight when Sakura was startled awake by vicious banging on her door. Pulling her sleeping yukata tightly around her body, she frowned and stood.

Wrenching the door open, she glared at whoever stood there. “What in the world-Kazama?!”

Supported by a very disgruntled Kyo and equally as worried Amagiri, Kazama looked a mess. He was pale – paler than usual – and his eyes seemed empty, dulled by pain. What shocked Sakura the most was the amount of blood coating his chin.

“Haruno-!”

“Quick, bring him in. Follow me. Put him on the bed.”

The two men followed her instructions without complaint. Kneeling beside the grunting man, Sakura immediately tore his yukata open, not caring about the fine material or Kazama’s reaction. Thin purple veins covered his torso, and Sakura cursed, pressing her glowing hands to his chest.

“Damn it! How did the sickness take hold of him like this? We were making progress. He was better last week. What the hell did he do?”

“He transformed.”

Amagiri’s deep voice reached her ears and Sakura blanched. “He did what?! Why in the seven hells would he even attempt that when I explicitly told him not to use his powers?”

Kyo grunted from his position beside the window. “Some rogue Oni were causing trouble withing the borders of clan territory. They kept harassing the villagers, looting warehouses, and stealing from those weaker than them. Kazama went there personally to teach them a lesson. Those bastards won’t be returning anytime soon.”

The revelation gave Sakura pause, and she had to begrudgingly admit that she would have done the same thing too. Had she been in his place, she would have disregarded her won own wellbeing without a second thought to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves. Her eyes traced the lines of Kazama’s tortured face, but there was something regal about him even in his moment of agony.

_Perhaps he’s noble in more ways than just blood, after all…_

Flooding his body with her healing chakra, she hoped it’d help alleviate his pain. While she had treated Demon’s Rage before, the disease was still something of a mystery. Oni were not forthcoming with information on their kind and she had only come across the illness when two unfortunate demons had come beginning for help, their bodies ravaged by the sickness. Still, she had never heard of the affliction before those instances. Especially back…home.

Hurt sparked in her chest at the thought of… _that place_ …but she pushed it to the back of her mind.

_Focus, Sakura. You have a patient to tend to. This man put himself in this situation for the sake of his people. You owe it to him to offer the best care possible._

Furrowing her brow in resolution, she poured her energy in his chest, her lips curving up in a small smile when she noticed him breathing more easily.

It took her a little over an hour to stabilize him, and though fatigued by the time the light flickered out from around her hands, she sighed in relief.

Turning to Kyo and Amagiri, she offered them a tired smile. “Crisis averted. He’ll be fine. However, you will have to leave him here for a couple of days.”

“Eh? You’re keeping Kazama here?”

She nodded at Kyo. “We can’t risk moving him in his state and I’d like to keep an eye on him, at least for the next few days. I must gauge exactly what kind of damage he did by transforming.”

“Man, Kazama won’t like that.”

Sakura scowled. “Well then, perhaps he should have listened to my advice and taken better care of himself. I’m not a magician, you know.”

Kyo held his hands up in mock surrender. “Don’t bite me, lady. I’m only saying.”

“Kyo, we’re leaving,” Amagiri said, abandoning his vigil near the bed. Turning to her, he bowed his head in respect. “Thank you for taking care of him. We will take our leave and return tomorrow at dusk to check on his condition.”

The woman nodded at them and watched them leave the room, before turning her eyes to her patient.

Without pain marring his features or his usual scowl, Kazama looked a lot more peaceful and she found herself smiling. His blond hair was disheveled, his skin carried a sheen of sweat, but there was something about the slope of his nose, and the sharpness of his jaw that was undeniably attractive. Absently, Sakura reached out and pushed a lock of hair away from his forehead.

_Huh, even a pureblood Oni can look so…human._

Realizing what she was doing, she pulled her hand back abruptly and stood. With one last look at Kazama’s sleeping face, she left the room.

XxxxX

When Chikage rose from sleep, it was to a pounding headache.

He opened his eyes, only to groan and shut them again when bright light assaulted them through the large window across from him.

_Wait, a window…?_

Giving his corneas a few moments to get used to the brightness, he examined his surroundings. While not his, the room was eerily familiar.

_What am I doing here? Who brought me?_

It took him a bit to stand, and he scowled at his own weakness. Supporting himself on the wall, he fixed his clothes to the best of his ability and exited the small bedroom.

He found the medicine woman bustling about her kitchen, humming an annoyingly merry tune under her breath. She was dressed in a simple light blue yukata with a yellow obi and a fraying hem, indicating that it was an article of clothing she favored. Locks of her hair were braided on either side of her head creating a wraith that ended in a voluminous bun kept in place with a small wooden comb.

She turned around, and the moment she caught him standing there, her eyes widened. “Kazama-san! What are you doing out of bed? You shouldn’t be moving!”

“Hn. I’m fine.”

She shook her head, gently taking hold of his arm. “You are not fine. Please, return to your bed-”

“I said I’m fine,” he growled, shaking her hand off, his anger flaring. He was not going to be patronized by a mere woman; he was not going to look weak in front of a human.

She remained silent for a bit, and he fought down the urge to smirk.

_Heh, pests._

“You ungrateful brat.”

His eyes widened slightly at her words, and he was even more taken aback by the expression on her face. Her teeth were gritted, her fists clenched tightly at her sides. The flush coloring her cheeks and neck rivaled the pink of her hair, and Chikage suddenly found himself transfixed. The woman was angry. But no; that was not right. She was absolutely _livid_. He could feel the force of her fury, the energy crackling around her like a flaming aura.

“You ungrateful brat!” she repeated, glaring at him. “You disrespectful cretin! How dare you! How dare you disregard your friends’ sacrifices like that! You don’t give a damn about my labor, but what about your companions? Huh?” She approached him, seemingly unaware of their proximity in her anger, and jabbed a finger in his chest.

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Watch your mouth, woman-”

“To hell with that, Chikage!” she cut him off, looking up at him with green eyes that burned like hellfire. “Kyo and Amagiri dragged your sorry ass all the way here, barely able to stand and vomiting blood. They waited for hours until I finally stabilized you. They stayed at your bedside without complaint.”

“I did not ask them to.”

“No, you didn’t.” She was practically shaking with fury. “And yet they still stayed. Don’t ask me why because you sure as hell don’t deserve that kind of loyalty.”

His eyes flashed dangerously, his temper slipping. “You’re annoying.”

She sucked in a breath, and suddenly the anger seemed to abandon her. She recoiled, putting as much distance as she could between them as if his words had burned her skin. The woman put a hand on the kitchen counter to support herself, breathing heavily, and Chikage caught himself strangely unsettled.

“I-I…Go back to bed, Kazama-san,” she said, her voice defeated. “I will visit you later to continue your treatment.”

With those words, she sprinted out of the house, leaving Chikage alone in the kitchen, staring after her with a frown on his face.

XxxxX

_Where in the seven hells is that woman?_

Chikage glanced out the window of her bedroom, taking note of the stars and the waxing moon illuminating the night sky. There was still no sign of the medic and he was growing restless.

The experience in her kitchen had been…unsettling, to say the least. And eye-opening. Perhaps his little doctor wasn’t as naïve as he had first thought. He saw the sorrow in her gaze, and the regret. He noticed the shallow breathing and the trembling fingers. He saw the light leave her eyes.

He couldn’t claim to know the inner working of her mind, but he wasn’t used to seeing such a crestfallen expression on her face. She was cheerful, colorful, bright. Annoyingly unsophisticated, even. Watching her wilt right before his eyes had been…

Disconcerting. Oddly, infuriatingly, and undeniably disconcerting.

Cursing her and his own weakness under his breath, Chikage stood, determined to find her, and drag her back to the room to heal him and be done with this farce.

The house was still dark and empty, eerie shadows dancing on the surfaces. He opened the door, meaning to search the garden, but stopped in his tracks when he saw the woman sitting on the tiny porch.

She turned around to glance at him and tried to smile but it looked hollow and dead. Chikage’s frown deepened. Giving in to a sudden urge, he sat down cross-legged beside her.

“Kazama-san. I…I am sorry for my outburst. I didn’t-”

“Don’t,” he cut her off. “Do not apologize. You were not entirely wrong.”

He felt her eyes on him for a while before she nodded. “Aa. Then, please, allow me to apologize for running out on you like that. It was unprofessional of me.”

“What did my words affect you so?” he asked bluntly, turning to face her fully. “I haven’t been kind to you, and I have spoken harshly to you before. Why did those particular words make you flee?”

She averted her gaze, her fists clenching on the skirt of her kimono, and for a moment he thought she might try to escape again, but then she sighed, her shoulders dropping.

“They…They reminded me of home.”

_Home?_

“Where do you hail from? One of the villages around here?”

She chuckled mirthlessly. “Kazama-san, I’m not from Kyoto, or any of the villages, or even Edo.” She looked up at him, a smile on her young face. A smile so full of sadness did not belong on the face of a woman like her. “My home is…was…Konohagakure no Sato.”

Uncharacteristically, Chikage’s eyebrow shot to his hairline. “A Konohian? I heard your village and its people were annihilated in the war five years ago.”

She winced at his choice of words but nodded. “That is correct. The war ravaged our country until there was nothing left. My friends and family…I lost them all to the fires of warfare. Most of the civilians perished too. The few of us that managed to survive scattered to the four corners of the earth, looking for somewhere to start anew. I ended up here.”

Chikage pondered her words for a bit. “Civilians. You spoke of civilians. That means…” he trailed off and his eyes flashed as realization dawned on him. “You are not just a doctor. You’re a warrior. A medical kunoichi. A chakra wielder.”

The same painful smile graced her lips. “I am. Or at least, I was. I’m not sure I am a warrior or a kunoichi anymore. A shinobi without a village to serve is little else other than an unmanned ship in the middle of a storm.”

_A kunoichi…Hiding in plain sight, disguised as a lowly doctor._

He’d heard tales of the shinobi that lived in the far East, of their feats and the power they created with their bare hands. He’d heard of their female warriors who wielded weapons just as easily as they did their feminine wiles. He’d also heard of the Hidden Villages and the war that brought them to their knees, wiping them all out. He had thought all of them had perished.

_Apparently, I thought wrong. Why did such a powerful woman condemn herself to a life like this?_

He glanced at her in the corner of his eye, taking in her sorrowful expression and her tense shoulders. She looked pitiful, fragile, and he found himself resenting her for making him want to wipe the look off her face.

“You called me disrespectful, and yet here you are lamenting the deaths of people who died honorably. There’s no greater disrespect than that.”

She looked up at him, startled by his words. “Kazama-san?”

“Your people were warriors and it is every warrior’s wish to die in battle, with a sword in their hand and the wind at their back. It is a valiant death. A death worth celebrating, not mourning.” He scoffed. “You survived, and though they may not be here in the flesh, they will accompany you in your memories. So, instead of sitting here like a pitiful creature and dishonoring them, live your life rejoicing in the knowledge that all these warriors endure in you now.”

She stared at him wide-eyed as if she were seeing him for the first time. The night breeze ruffled her hair, throwing it in disarray all around her, but she didn’t seem to notice. After a while, a breath shuddered out of her lungs and she looked down at her hands, but her back seemed somehow straighter, her shoulders stronger.

“The Will of Fire…” she whispered, more to herself than to him. She looked up, smiling a brilliant smile that had his eyes straying to the curve of her lips. “Thank you, Kazama-san. I think…I think I will do just that.”

“Heh, typical humans.”

She giggled prettily and despite the situation, Chikage found himself smirking.

XxxOxOxOxxX

_ A few weeks later… _

“Yo! Haruno!”

“Kyo-kun! Amagiri-kun! Good morning! Come in, come in.” She smiled brightly at the two Oni as she ushered them in the kitchen where Chikage sat, drinking his morning tea, and looking as perfect as he always did.

_It’s terribly unfair how this man can look so regal without even trying. And handsome. Annoyingly so._

Shaking her head to rid herself of these thoughts that seemed to have increased in the past couple of weeks, she encouraged the new arrivals to take a seat.

Depositing a bundle on the table, Kyo motioned for her to take it. “I brought this for you, Haruno. I thought you might have use for it.”

Tilting her head in confusion, Sakura untied the know holding the bundle together and gasped. “Mullein?! Where did you find this?” she exclaimed, turning to the Oni with bright eyes and brimming with enthusiasm.

Kyo smirked. “Heh, I was on a job nearby and came across an herb merchant that owed me a favor. He was pretty willing to part with it. It’s supposed to be rare, right?”

Sakura beamed and rose to her tiptoes to place a quick kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, Kyo-kun. It’s a wonderful gift. I will help a lot of people with this.” Turning to Kazama, she smiled cheekily. “See, Chikage? This is how you win a woman’s favor.”

Setting his cup down, Chikage glanced at them in the corner of his eye. “I have no interest in winning any woman’s favor.”

Kyo cackled, throwing his arm around Sakura’s shoulders. “In that case, want me to take you out, Haruno? We’ll call it a date. My treat.”

Before she could answer, Chikage stood, the rattling of his cup interrupting their banter.

“I do not recall hiring you to go on excursions, Shiranui. Do your job and let her do hers.” Grabbing Sakura’s wrist, he started dragging her towards her bedroom. “Come, human. It’s time for my treatment.”

“Chikage, wait. We can’t leave Kyo and Amagiri alone-”

“They’ll manage, Sakura. Come. Now.”

“Mou, Chikage-”

The shutting of the room’s door made it impossible to hear the rest of their conversation, but the wide smirk remained on Kyo’s face. “Did I hear correctly? Did he just call her Sakura?”

Amagiri sipped at his tea. “He did. He did, indeed.”

XxxOxOxOxxX

Chikage frowned deeply when Sakura failed to answer the door even after a couple of minutes of him waiting outside her house.

It was well into the evening, and he knew that the woman was always home alone after sundown. After all, that was why he chose to visit her at night. It meant no other patients and no interruptions.

_Where in the world is she?_

His treatment was coming to end, he knew. Sakura had said so herself a couple of weeks ago, and he could feel it too. He was stronger, he hadn’t coughed in a while, and he hadn’t seen a drop of blood on his clothes.

_Huh, she did deliver on her claims, after all._

Strangely, the thought didn’t set his mind at ease the way he thought it would. He should be rejoicing at having his health back, and yet he couldn’t quite bring himself to do that. Because completing his treatment meant never returning to this place, and never returning to this place meant never seeing the medicine woman again.

As much as he loathed admitting it, he had grown…attached to her. She was loud, naïve, and had a mouth that was too smart for her own good, but she evoked odd…reactions out him. Outlandish reactions. Pleasant reactions.

Scowling at his own thoughts, Chikage knocked on the door one last time. Yet again, there was no answer, making something strange well up inside him. An intense feeling of worry.

_I’m gonna find her even if it means searching the whole of Kyoto._

He was ready to deliver on that promise when he heard footsteps and he turned around to see Sakura walking slowly towards him.

“Chikage,” she breathed out, her voice weak, and she smiled. “I apologize for making you wait. There was an emergency I had to attend to. A teahouse caught on fire. Many were injured.”

“Hn. That is fine.” His crimson eyes roved her form, taking in the drag in her step and the slummed shoulders. He furrowed his brow. “You do not look well.”

She waved his concerns off and patted his arm the moment she reached him, pulling her key out of her sash. “Don’t worry about me. Now, come inside and we can start your-”

Her steps faltered and her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she lost consciousness. Chikage’s eyes widened, and he barely managed to catch her before she hit the ground.

“Sakura? Sakura!”

Glancing down at the woman in his arms, he scowled at the dark circles under her eyes and the paleness of her skin.

_You selfless, naïve fool…_

Picking up the key, he let himself in and made a beeline for her bedroom. He deposited on the futon gently and made to leave, only stop in his tracks when her fingers grabbed his. His eyes widened. She didn’t appear aware, and he could tell by her breathing that she was fast asleep. Still, he didn’t pull his hand. Giving in to a sudden urge, he sat down beside her, fingers still locked in hers.

His gaze roved her face, tracing her features from the odd diamond in the middle of her forehead to her parted lips. He suddenly wished her eyes were open. He liked looking into them; they were so easy to read and the green of her irises made him feel lighter, relaxed. She shifted in her sleep, causing the collar of her yukata to become loose, allowing him a glimpse of her milky collarbone.

_Huh? What is that?_

He could see curved black lines at the start of the valley of her breasts. He couldn’t make out the whole shape, covered by fabric as it was, but if he were to hazard a guess, he’d say the lines were part of at least three concentric circles. He frowned, equal parts intrigued and concerned.

Reluctantly untangling his fingers from hers, he stood. He spared her one last lingering look before he left the room.

XxxxX

When Sakura woke, it was to the smell of freshly brewed tea coming from her kitchen.

Getting out of bed – that she couldn’t remember reaching the previous night – she changed into a fresh, peach-colored yukata with a green obi and made her way out of the room.

She blinked in surprise. “Chikage?”

From his position at the table, he turned to look at her. “Sakura. I see you are awake. How are you feeling?”

Taking a seat across from him, she took a sip from the steaming cup of jasmine tea already waiting for her there. A similar cup rested before him.

“I…How did I get here?” she said thoughtfully. “I remember walking home after responding to that fire accident and then…darkness.”

He nodded. “You made it all the way to the door before fainting. I happened to be here for my treatment.”

Sakura looked horrified. “I’m so sorry, Chikage! Oh dear, how unprofessional of me-”

“Don’t. Don’t apologize. You were exhausted; you barely made a sound as I carried you inside. My treatment can wait.”

The woman’s cheeks flushed. “You carried me to my room?”

Taking a sip from his cup, he raised an eyebrow at her. “I couldn’t leave you there, could I?”

“Of course, you couldn’t. Apologies.”

_Gee, Sakura. Dig an even deeper grave for yourself, why don’t you? You’re not a lovesick teenager anymore, damn it!_

Still blushing, the medic looked up at her companion and smiled bashfully. “Let me make us some breakfast. It should help me regain my strength and then we can complete your session,” she said, making to stand.

“Sakura.”

“Huh?” She turned to him, tilting her head to the side questioningly.

“What is that symbol on your chest?”

It took her a minute to understand what he was referring to. She blushed furiously, tightening her hold on the collar of her yukata. “Ah, you saw that?”

“Not intentionally. I caught sight of one of the black lines while putting you to bed.” He cleared his throat, almost awkwardly. “Do not feel compelled to answer. I’m merely asking to satisfy my own curiosity.”

Pondering his words, she took a deep breath. After caring for her and waiting to make sure she was alright, she owed him some answers. After all, she felt weirdly willing to share her past. It felt almost easy to bare her soul to him. It was strange considering how harsh and scrutinizing Chikage could be, but there was something in his eyes that compelled her to speak. Something that she almost immediately recognized as strength. She could use a bit of his strength.

“That…That symbol is actually a seal.”

“A seal? What for?”

“Me.”

She could tell that her reply had taken him by surprise. The change on his face was subtle, merely a twitch of the lips, but she had gotten really good at reading him over the past couple of months. She smiled at the thought.

“You?”

She nodded. “I watched my whole world crumble to ashes, Chikage. I saved many lives, but when the time came to save the ones most precious to me, I failed. Time and time again, I failed.” Her fingers tightened around her cup, and she gritted her teeth to keep her voice from cracking. “The moment I decided to settle here was the moment I realized that Konoha was truly gone, and along with it, my days as a kunoichi. What is a warrior who cannot protect their loved ones? I do not deserve the power my mentors and my friends helped me gain. I don’t deserve the ability to harness and mold the power that I failed to use when it mattered.”

Looking him in the eye, she pressed her hand to her chest. “That’s what this seal is. I placed it on myself to keep that power locked away. With Konoha gone, Sakura the kunoichi is gone too, never to return. The seal allows me to use a portion of my medical chakra in order to help people, but that’s about it. I promised myself never to break it and I will not. This seal will remain on me until the day I die.”

His crimson eyes bore into hers, bright and glowing unnaturally. She could not tell if it was a characteristic of all pureblood Oni or if it was simply Chikage’s undeniable influence on her that took her breath away.

He picked up the pot and poured her a fresh cup of tea. “Sakura the kunoichi sounds like a formidable woman.” He sent her a smirk that made her insides quiver.

Feeling lighter, she smiled, certain that her cheeks were tinted pink. “She was. She really was,” she said wistfully, as if speaking about a whole other person and not her own self.

“Sakura the medicine woman is equally as formidable, whether she realizes it or not.”

The woman gasped, nearly dropping her cup. Chikage had never complimented her so openly before. While he had offered her backhanded compliments on a few occasions these past two months – and she actually found it quite endearing in an odd way – he always hid them behind harsher words and scowls.

Feeling her heart flutter in her chest, she averted her gaze, unable to meet his crimson eyes and his handsome face. “I…I will let her know.”

“That would be ideal.”

Hearing the smirk in his voice, she jumped to her feet. “Are you hungry? I’ll make us something right away!”

She bustled around the kitchen, pulling out pots and pans, listing ingredients under her breath.

All the while, she could feel a pair of eyes following her every move.

XxxOxOxOxxX

The walk to Sakura’s doorstep took longer than ever before, but Chikage was thankful. It gave him time to think.

Tonight was his last treatment and the night Sakura would officially declare him perfectly healthy. He would offer her payment and then he’d walk out of her door, never to return.

He hated it.

He was a master of deceit but if there was one person he couldn’t lie to that was himself. He did not intend to even try. He had grown attached to Sakura, and there was no denying it.

He hated it.

He hated the fact that the thought of never seeing her again made something in his chest constrict painfully. Had this happened a couple of months ago, he would have blamed it on the sickness, but that was no longer an option. The more progress Sakura made with his treatment, the worse the tightening got. It was nearly suffocating. Chikage loathed every minute of it.

Because accepting it meant accepting the fact that he had a weakness; a weakness that had flesh and bones and beautiful green eyes and warm hands and a brilliant smile.

It meant accepting that his weakness was a human woman who could be taken from him at any moment. It meant truly accepting that he had no intention of stopping his visits, treatment or not. It meant that he’d be forced to admit that if humans had managed to create someone like her – radiant, and pure and with a soul unsullied by the filth of the world despite the atrocities she had seen – they couldn’t be as worthless as he had thought.

He cursed under his breath as he walked the path leading to her door. He could not see any light through the window, so he assumed that the woman was either preparing her bedroom or tending to her herb garden. She liked to do that, he knew. She liked to do a lot of things that he would have found mundane and dull under normal circumstances but could not help but enjoy when she was there too.

He made to knock on the door, only to have it creak open the moment he touched it. Frowning, he pushed it open and took a step inside.

The house was dark and silent, and he couldn’t hear the usual sound of tea brewing. His frown deepened as a feeling of foreboding settled on his shoulders, and he put a hand on the hilt of his sword.

_Is that-?_

His eyes widened when the unmistakable rusty smell of blood reached his nose, and he rushed to the small kitchen where it was coming from. The whole place was in complete disarray. The futons were torn, and the table was broken. There were kitchen utensils thrown all over the place, and he was certain the broken pieces he was stepping on were what was left of Sakura’s favorite tea set.

He found her lying there, with her hands bound and her hair drenched in red. Kneeling beside her, he picked her up, searching her face frantically for any sign of life.

“Sakura. Sakura!”

Her face was pale, and there was a thin rivulet of blood seeping from her mouth, dyeing her lips crimson. Holding her to his chest, he checked for a pulse and sighed in relief when he found it. It was faint, but it was there.

Carrying her to her room, he deposited gently on the bed and returned to the kitchen to fetch a bowl of water. Rummaging through the chest he knew she kept her medical supplies stored in, he retrieved several rolls of bandages and clean rags.

Soaking the rags in the water, he cleaned her face and neck, hoping the coolness of the water would wake her. He searched her body for any wounds, anxious to treat her to the best of his ability until she woke.

He was in the process of checking her head when he heard a soft groan slip past her lips.

“Sakura? Sakura, can you hear me?”

Slowly, she opened her eyes. They looked dull and disoriented, but they visibly brightened when they fell on him. She tried to smile. “C-Chikage? What happened? A-Are you alright?”

_Stop worrying about me and worry about yourself, you selfless, stubborn, beautiful fool._

He cupped her face. “Who did this to you?”

Her eyes glazed over for a minute as she tried to piece her memories together. “They…They came pretending to be villagers looking for medicine for their children. I couldn’t tell them no. I…I let them in and made them some tea to warm them up. One of them hit me on the head. It’s been so long since I last fought…I didn’t think I’d have to, so I didn’t see it coming.” She grunted in pain, making Chikage’s insides twist. “They tied me up. Without my chakra, I couldn’t really break the ropes. I’m so weak.”

She tried to turn her gaze away, but he kept her face focused on him. “You’re not weak, Sakura. Those lowlifes…Those pests don’t deserve to breathe the same air you do. What else did they do?”

She stared at him, as if she could hardly believe the words coming out of his mouth. “They only wanted to steal. I don’t have any close neighbors, so my house seemed like the perfect prey. I didn’t have anything worth their while, so…they rummaged the place and left.”

“I saw blood. Did they do something to you? Is that yours?” He tried in vain to hide the urgency in his voice.

“That’s not mine. Before they tied me, I managed to land a hit. Broke one’s arm so badly that the bone ended up sticking out of his flesh. I got him good.” She tried to smile, but it seemed more like a grimace. She coughed and then grunted in pain. “It did earn me a couple of broken ribs though.”

Anger coursed through his veins as he watched her try hard not to let her pain show. Red-hot and all-consuming, he felt a strange kind of bloodlust take hold of his senses.

“Sakura…These people that did this to you. Do you know them?”

She shook her head, her breathing labored. “No. They aren’t locals. One of them wore an eyepatch. Had I seen him before, I would have remembered.”

He nodded. “What can I do for you? What can I do to lessen your pain?”

The woman smiled at him sweetly and Chikage found himself marveling at how she could look so beautifully innocent even in her moment of pain. “Don’t worry about me, Chikage. I’ve been through worse.” Her hand started to glow green and though it didn’t shine as bright as when she treated him, it still gave him a sense of relief. “See? I’ve already started mending the bones. I just need to sleep for a couple of hours and then I’ll be ready to finish healing myself. I’ll be fine, you’ll see.”

“Aa.” He offered her a lopsided grin, a lot softer than his usual smirks, and continued stroking circles on her cheek with his thumb. “Then sleep. I’ll be here when you wake.”

She nodded, smiling at him dreamily as she drifted off.

In the dimness of the room, Chikage’s furious eyes shone a brighter crimson than ever before; the color of her blood.

He didn’t know how long he sat there watching over her, and he only abandoned his vigil when he heard the front door open and close.

“Kazama? Oi, Kazama!”

“Zip it, Shiranui.”

Kyo and Amagiri turned to face him, looking around them in confusion.

“What the hell happened here? Where’s Haruno?”

“She was attacked by thieves.” Chikage’s eyes fell to the bloodstain on the floor. Though he knew it wasn’t hers, it still made him tremble in anger to think that it could have been.

“Huh? Is she ok? Did they hurt her?”

“She’s recuperating in her room. They broke her ribs, but she reassured me she’ll be fine.”

Shiranui glared at the mess. “Those bastards.”

Amagiri nodded. “Attacking a lady in her own home is beyond deplorable behavior.”

“Kyo, Amagiri. I need you to watch over her for a while. I’ll be back before dawn.”

“Where are you going, Kazama?”

Already walking out, Chikage glanced at him over his shoulder, and something in his eyes made Kyo take a step back. “There’s something I need to do.”

XxxxX

“Bah! We got nothin’ tonight. No proper prey, I tell you!”

“Shut up, Katsuro! You want the whole of Kyoto to know we’re here?”

The other man snickered. “You worry too much, Jurou. Who’s going to speak? The pretty lady? She be laying with broken ribs as we speak, far from anyone who could alert those Shinsengumi dogs.”

“She broke Shouta’s arm like it was a twig.”

Katsuro waved him off. “Lucky shot. The idiot should have been more careful.”

Jurou remained silent as they walked, counting the coins in the pouch hanging from his belt. “We need to find a doctor for Shouta.”

Katsuro scowled. “He can find his own doctor. I won’t be spending my hard-earned coin on his ass. Have I ever told you how I lost my eye?”

“I’ve heard that story a hundred bloody times. You can take your stupid eyepatch and shove it.”

They continued walking, whispering to each other and keeping close to the shadows of the alleys until Jurou’s ears caught something.

“You hear that?”

“What?”

“Ain’t that…footsteps?”

“Come quick. Let’s hide in the alley. Have the Shinsengumi started going on night patrols too?”

Jurou shrugged, walking further into the dark alley. “They can do whatever the hell they want as long as they don’t catch me.”

“Then I suppose your troubles end here. There will be nothing left to catch.”

Both men whirled around to find a man, leaning against the wall of the alley, his figure shrouded in the shadows.

“Who the hell are you?”

XxxxX

“Who the hell are you?”

Narrowing his eyes, Chikage pushed himself of the wall and chuckled.

“You are not worthy of knowing my name, human pests.”

The man with the eyepatch scowled. “Run along, boy. We got no time for this nonsense.”

“On the contrary, I believe you have all the time in the world. You seemed to have enough time to attack a woman in her home after she treated you with kindness and leave her bleeding on the floor with her bones broken.”

“You her husband or something?”

Chikage started walking towards them, taking pleasure in the fear that crossed their faces. They could no doubt feel the force of his anger licking at their skin like the flames of a funeral pyre. “Or something. You made a grave mistake. You put your filthy hands on her, tarnished her skin with cuts and bruises. You took the light out of her eyes and replaced it with pain.” He unsheathed his sword, letting the tip drag on the stone beneath his feet as he walked. It created an ominous song that promised death. “You can’t possibly believe that you’ll get out of here alive.”

Staggering back, the two men pulled their swords out of their scabbards, glancing at each other uncertainly.

“What are you to her? Why the hell does it matter to you if we roughened her up a bit?”

Fury unlike anything Chikage had ever felt before flooded his body, coursing through his veins. His rage held all the power of a wildfire, a flame that curled in the pit of his stomach ready to ignite and burn anything he touched.

His eyes, crimson and bright with nearly uncontrollable bloodlust, focused on them, and he took a sick kind of pleasure in their gasps of terror. “I am her demon. You dared spill her blood, and now I’m going to dye these walls in yours.”

They never even managed to scream.

XxxxX

When Sakura woke, it was to a sense of comfort she hadn’t felt in a long while.

Unwilling to abandon that serene feeling, she snuggled closer to the warmth, clenching her fist tightly around silky fabric.

_Wait. Fabric?_

Someone chuckled, a deep rumble that reverberated through her and made her toes tingle in anticipation. Looking up, she found herself staring into the amused face of Chikage.

“Rise and shine, kunoichi.”

“Huh? Chikage?” She looked around her, taking in her surroundings. They were in her room, sitting on the floor in front of her favorite window.

More importantly, Chikage sat cross-legged with her nestled safely in his embrace. She flushed at how intimate their position was, looking down at her hands bashfully.

“Are you feeling better?”

She nodded against him. “My ribs will be sore for the next couple of days, but they have mended nicely.”

He hummed in understanding, his arms tightening around her as they watched the sunrise on the horizon. He glanced down at her, and she found herself lost in his red eyes that glowed outlandishly in the orange light of dawn.

His fingers, beautiful and noble just like the rest of him, caught the collar of her yukata and pulled it open just enough to reveal her seal. He touched the swirls, tracing them slowly, and making Sakura gasp at the sensation.

“Sakura, you will take this seal off you.”

She blinked, stunned. “You know I can’t do that, Chikage. I promised myself that I wouldn’t use my chakra for anything other than healing ever again-”

“You won’t,” he cut her off, his voice lacking its usual bite. It sounded almost soft. “You won’t ever have to fight a battle again in your life.”

“You don’t know that-”

“I do.” He pulled her closer to his chest, hiding her face in the crook of his neck. “I do because I will make sure of it. From this moment on, I will be your guardian. You will take that seal off, for it doesn’t deserve to mar your skin and it doesn’t deserve to restrain the glory of your nature. You will rid yourself of these chains and I will protect your body and everything that you are. I will become your sword.”

Too stunned to speak, Sakura stared at him, her heart pounding in her chest.

_You misunderstood, noble, beautiful man…_

She averted her gaze, unwilling to let him see the tears that threatened to spill, but his fingers caught her chin and he gently coaxed her to meet his eyes again. His crimson orbs, shining like jewels, took her breath away.

He leaned his face closer to hers, their breaths mingling. “No one is allowed to take anything from you ever again. Not a breath from your lips, or a drop of your blood.”

“You don’t know that,” she whispered, transfixed by the sharp line of his jaw, and his captivating red eyes, and his perfect features.

_Kami, he’s beautiful._

Chikage chuckled. “Of course, I do. I’m going to claim every little thing you can give for myself, you silly woman.” His thumb brushed the corners of her mouth gently. “And I’m starting right here.”

He pressed his lips to her, and the euphoric heat that exploded in her belly was something Sakura had never felt before. She tangled her fingers in his hair, and he ran his hands up and down her spine, coaxing shivers out of her. Never breaking the passionate exchange of their mouths, Chikage pulled her closer, molding her body to his in such a perfect way that she had to wonder if perhaps their bodies had been made for each other.

He bit her lower lip gently and leaned his forehead against hers. “I will claim every part of you. You’ll be mine and I’ll be yours, and the only markings you’ll bear on your body from now on will be the ones my lips and my teeth put on you every time I ravish you in our bed.”

Flushing at his words and the scorching desire she saw in his eyes, Sakura smiled sweetly. “I can live with that,” she said and pulled him down for another kiss.

**The End**


End file.
